Snowdrift
by lin-ifyouplease
Summary: The daughter of Princess Anna and Prince Kristoff, Annika, has to carry the weight of being Arendelle's next ruler after her brother is killed in battle with the Southern Isles, little does she know that her forbidden lover is the prince of Arendelle's greatest threat. RATED T FOR DEATH AND TRAUMATIC SEQUENCES. Ficlet
1. Chapter 1

"Oh no..." the cold gasp of a blonde, almost white, haired girl filled the quiet room with the kind of chill that wasn't felt on the skin, but under the skin, "Jakob..."

The tall cloaked man threw the black cloth over the little red-haired boy's body as Princess Anna got her last look at her oldest son, shot down in a battle which he did not live to see the victory of. Kristoff placed his hand on his wife's shoulder and simply closed his eyes, his head hanging low. Neither of them payed attention to the girl whom had thrown her forehead against the table where he lay and shed several tears that turned to ice once it hit the surface off her skin. Anna wiped her eyes once more and saw that the table around Jakob had begun to freeze up with Annika's hands placed firmly on top of it. She walked up to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her.

"You are not alone," Anna whispered, "Your father and I will always be here for you..."

Annika picked her head up, her white-ish blonde hair falling in front of her face with her cheeks more red than their usual rosy glow. She threw herself into her father's big and warm chest, sobbing into the darkness of his clothes, taking in the scent of warm gingerbread and Sven. The 13-year-old girl could feel her mother's hand stroking her back up and down very slowly, while also hearing the sobs and uneasy breathing patterns from both her parents.

The young princess couldn't help but feel like somehow, her brother's death was her own fault. Aunt Elsa had taught her to use her powers for good instead of evil, and Annika's warm heart gave her the ability to heal other people's injuries. She had done it before when Jakob had a cut on his finger, but never with a stab wound in his abdomen. She placed her hand on top of the wound and wished harder than she had ever wished before, but instead of healing, he died right then and there.

"You cannot blame yourself for this," Kristoff said as Annika felt the vibrations of his voice against her ear, "We have blamed the Southern Isles for our prince and we have taken our revenge by defeating them. We have done all we can to avenge him."

Annika nodded, then turned away from her father. She held her hand in the air and closed her eyes very slowly and gently. Anna and Kristoff saw a small snowflake pop up into the air and it spun around for a little bit until it froze up. Annika opened her eyes and opened up Jakob's hand before placing the frozen snowflake in his hand.

"Now he'll always have a piece of me with him," she said, closing his cold palm and draping the black veil back over the body.


	2. Chapter 2

**❄❄❄6❄years❄later❄❄❄  
**

There was nothing but the sound of foot steps, fire, and the sizzling sound of food once it hit the bubbling oil inside the pan. It filled the stone-walled kitchen with an aroma of food that not even Annika herself could resist. The princess pressed her back firmly against the wall, taking in the scent that made her stomach churn beneath her skin and she began to giggle. She peeked her head just beside the stone wall to see that it had not just been the food she had come down here for. It was the reason she was hiding. He was tall, well built, handsome, and he had perfect brown-ish red hair that went well with his chestnut colored eyes. As he cut the bread, his arm muscles flexed, giving Annika a chill down her spine as she leaned back against the wall again, shaking in utter delight.

"Anni?" a little girl's voice called out.

Annika's first instinct was to shush the voice. She looked down and saw a perfect little light red-haired girl at the age of 6 with big green eyes.

"Kristane," Annika whispered, "You need to keep quiet."

"Why?" she asked, stretching her arms up to her big sister as her feet prickled above the ground.

"I'm not technically supposed to be here," she answered, picking up her little sister in her arms.

"That's why I followed you here," Kristane clapped excitedly, "You almost NEVER leave your room now and now that you're out I think we should go and play!"

"Not now, Kristane," Annika shook her head, "Give me a few minutes, okay?"

Kristane squeezed her way out of Annika's arms and placed her feet firmly on the ground before crossing her arms and giving her a very cross and angry face.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Annika shrugged, "I'm busy right now."

The anger in that sweet freckled face suddenly sank faster than her father's sled across a field of snow. Her eyes drifted to the ground and her arms hung limp at her sides.

"Okay, bye," she whispered before walking away very slowly, scuffing her shoes against the hay on the dirt ground to see the different ways it could move.

Annika bit her lip harshly at the view she had just seen. Her mother made her promise to always have time for Kristane if she ever needed it. Now she was just being mean to her. Anna had told her all the stories once she turned 18. A year later and those stories still made her heart sink every time she thought about her aunt basically abandoning her mother when her grandparents died. Annika didn't need to hear her father's lecture about family to know that Kristane needed someone.

"Oh fine," Annika groaned.

The little girl jumped up and turned around, her arms opening up wide and a sudden smile gliding across her face.

"Yay!" she shouted, "Do the magic! Do the magic!"

Annika ran past her sister and scooped her up in her arms before taking her to the courtyards outside the castle where the sun was shining brightly on a beautiful spring morning. She stepped on the ground very swiftly and caused the entire stone ground to turn to ice. This made Kristane giggle with delight.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" Kristane asked, hugging her sister's leg tightly.

"We could..." Annika pondered, "but why build one when we already have one to play with!"

Kristane gasped, "Really!?"

"Olaf!" Annika called, "Oh Olaf!"

Just then, the big majestic palace doors opened with a boom and they slowly moved out of the way to reveal a tiny white snowman with a big carrot nose and one tooth with a winter cloud hanging over his entire body that moved as he walked.

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs," he announced as he ran down the stairs, stretching his little wooden arms towards Kristane.

"Olaf!" Kristane cheered, running towards the snowman for a big hug.

"He was my friend when I was your age," Annika smiled, "Now he's yours."

Olaf gasped, "Oh! She gives such a good hug!" he sniffed her hair, "AND she smells like strawberries!"

Kristane giggled and jumped before gliding across the ice, "Come on Olaf! Catch me if you can!"

Olaf clapped excitedly before skating across the ice after her. Annika raised her hands up to the sky and formed one big giant snowflake, which she then separated into little flakes of snow that flurried just around the courtyard. The sound of Kristane's giggle and Olaf's jokes as he chased after her warmed Annika's heart better than anything else could have.

The palace doors opened once again, but this time, instead of revealing a tiny snowman, it revealed a big, tall, muscular man with blonde hair on top of his head.

"Annika!" he called.

She turned around in her delight, then her face slowly sank into what felt like was an upcoming punishment for using her magic without her aunt's permission. Annika glided across the ice, then walked up the steps.

"Yes Papa?" she asked, standing up straight and tall with her hands folded behind her back and her head held high.

"Is your Aunt Elsa with you?" he asked sternly.

Annika shook her head, "No Papa..."

"Annika, you know you're not supposed to use your powers without your Aunt near you," he said, "It's too dangerous to be unsupervised like this."

"Papa, I promise you, I would NEVER hurt Kristane," Annika argued, "I make sure she is always at a great distance from me before I do ANYTHING that could hurt her."

"Sure, fate was gracious to you this time, but your aunt can tell you plenty about how that goes wrong very fast," Kristoff said, "Now please, go back inside the castle... you may go back outside once you've learned from her how to control it."

Annika opened her mouth up to argue, but it was no use now. She knew her father was always extremely stubborn. If it were mom instead of her he wouldn't be so harsh, she thought. Controlling magic is based on ones emotions. Annika knew this lesson like the back of her hand at this points. She was 19 years old and it was time for these lessons to end. Annika was already a greater strength than her aunt was, with the power to heal minor injuries. It wasn't fair that she had to be locked up in her room all the time when there was so much more to do in such a big place.

As she walked down the halls of the castle, she felt a hand come up from behind and cover her mouth. This person must have been strong enough to completely take her off her feet and pull her to a corner behind a wall. It was him. The kitchen boy was standing in front of her. His eyes looking sweeter up close than they do from a far. It was a shame she hadn't seen this sweetness more often.

"Arkyn," she whispered, "What are you-."

Before words could be said, Arkyn silenced her with a kiss to her lips, taking her face in his large hands.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you," she breathed against his lips, "but what are you doing here? If my parents see you-."

"I came to say goodbye," he whispered as he pulled away from her.

"Goodbye?" she asked, "but why?"

"It is time for me to return home, where I belong," he answered.

"But Arendelle is your home, Arkyn," she insisted, "You have been my attendant for years now."

"but I have received word from... my father."

"Oh Arkyn," she breathed, "Your father has finally found you?"

"Yes," he nodded, "but that's not all... you see... I've spent almost my entire life wondering who my real father is... as it turns out... he's..."

"He's what?" she asked, touching her hand to his cheek.

"He's a prince... of the Southern Isles."

Annika gasped and pushed herself as far back against the wall as possible. It wasn't possible. The kingdom they were at war with had a son, a prince, who was raised in Arendelle and had fallen in love with its princess. When Kristoff told her that fate wouldn't be so gracious later on, she had understood now, it wasn't exactly what he meant, but she understood it anyway.

"And so now you're leaving to go to your rightful home?" she whispered.

"It's what I must do," he insisted, "I am of the Southern Isles. It is my duty to return home in their time of need."

"What about in OUR time of need?" she asked, "I thought... you said that we would be together forever... that we would be engaged at the first sign of summer."

"I know what I said," Arkyn nodded, taking her hand in his, "but this is what I have to do... things change, right?"

Annika shook her head, "but I don't want any more things to change, Arkyn... I just wanted you..."

"Annika, I am so-."

"Don't," she said, snatching her hand away from his, "Just go... go back to where you think you belong."

Annika stormed out of the corner and back into the open space just near where the stairs were. Now she was much more reluctant to shut herself inside that door for eternity, as to hide from the greatest threat to Arendelle; her true love, at least she thought he was, anyway.

"Annika!" she heard his voice call again.

She was already half way up the stairs before she looked over her shoulder as Arkyn stood in the middle of the large room; within the sunlight coming down from the windows.

"Guards!" the princess shouted, "Guards! We have a Southern Islander in our palace! Someone help!"

The guards came from out of nowhere from all sides, each of them pointing their spears at Arkyn.

"Take him away," she said quietly.

Arkyn's hands were bound by silver handcuffs and they escorted him out of the palace and out of Annika's life forever.


	3. Chapter 3

The dust had settled (more like the snow, actually). Everything was motionless, even the snow that had begun to fall in the air. Queen Elsa stood completely still with her arms stretched out on either side as the tears fell from her face. She was breathing heavily, at least that's what Annika saw as her aunt's chest rose and fell continuously.

She reached out her hand towards her shaking aunt, "Aunt Elsa...?"

Elsa turned her face away from her niece, but Annika ignored her body language and walked towards her anyway. Annika touched her arm, coaxing it down to her side.

"It's okay, Aunt Elsa," she cooed, "The war is over... we won. We did it. Together."

The breathing then began to decrease. Annika wrapped her arms around her aunt whether she'd get a response or not. There needed to be comfort at this time when the water was frozen, the ships were wrecked and the troops retreating from the land. Elsa felt the warmth of her niece, the one who was like her. There was never any need to feel alone in the first place, but now she truly had someone who understood her by her side, and so she returned Annika's affection by wrapping her arms around her as well.

"Kristoff!" came Anna's voice from the distance.

Elsa and Annika exchanged a look of worry.

"Papa?" Annika called before gliding across the ice and onto the stone ground towards her mother's voice, "Papa!"

Annika hoisted herself up onto the stone bridge with ice and saw her mother, supporting her father's head in her hand. He was badly wounded. She had seen this image before. It was almost too much for her to handle. Annika continued to shake her head, with her hands in front of her, as if it could block her from this horrible image.

"N-No..." she sobbed, "Mama...?"

"He was attacked," Anna sniffed, "I stopped him b-but I was too late to save him..."

"Oh no," Elsa gasped once she joined them.

"Papa?" Annika asked, kneeling down beside her father.

"A-Annika?" Kristoff asked, sounding very weak.

"Oh papa," she cried, "I'm so sorry!"

"I'm sorry too," Kristoff said, bringing his shaking hand slowly to her cheek, she supported it there, "I'm so proud of you, Annika... and I love you very much."

A tear fell down Annika's cheek as she felt the warmth of her father's palm slowly leaving.

"Don't leave, papa," she begged, "Please!"

"You can save him," Elsa said, resting her hand on Annika's back.

"I can't," she protested, "I didn't work last time."

"And now you've had some practice," she reassured her, "Go ahead... try... I have faith in you."

Annika nodded and placed her hand on her father's wound. She thought the words 'heal', 'health', 'strength', and 'love' over and over again as she closed her eyes tightly. She felt a flurry of magic run through her hand until it shot out onto her father. The memory of the first time she discovered her power and showed her father came into mind. She remembered when her father let her ride Sven in the mountains and when her mother used to mock him for fun. Happy thoughts made it easier in case it didn't work out the way she wanted to.

"Annika?" Anna asked, placing her hand on top of hers.

She opened her eyes and saw a blue light flashing over Kristoff's wound. Kristoff then began to blink several times and sat up, breathing peacefully.

"Annika!" Kristoff smiled, "You did it!"

"I did...?" she asked herself, looking at her hands.

"You did," Elsa said, nodding with approval.

Kristoff took his entire family into his arms and hugged them very tightly as they all laughed.

"Come on," Annika said, taking her aunt's hand, "Let's thaw this out, shall we?"

Elsa nodded and then pushed Annika's hand back to her, "Why don't you do it?"

Annika smiled and twitched her fingers as she raised her hands up into the air, feeling the release as the snow lifted from the land. All of that magic and white powder raised into the air. The river unfroze, the ships that were wrecked sank to the bottom, and the sun began to shine again in the bright blue sky next to an ice snowflake with Annika's arms pointed directly up into the air at it. She separated her arms and the snowflake dispersed into tiny pieces that dissolved away.

"Mama! Papa!" Kristane's voice cheered as she ran out of the gate.

"Kristane!" Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Annika called and ran towards the giggling child.

"You did it!" she cried, "You really did it! Annika! You're amazing!"

Annika picked up the little girl in her arms and gave her a big kiss on the cheek, followed by another adorable childish giggle.

"I'll say," another man's voice came from behind the happy family.

Kristoff raised his eyebrows at his daughter when Arkyn was seen in front of them, no weapons in hand, simply as himself. Annika stepped forward.

"Let her go, Kristoff," Anna laughed when Kristoff tried to interfere.

"What are you doing?" Annika asked Arkyn.

"I've made a huge mistake," Arkyn insisted, "and I'm not saying this because the war is over... I'm saying this because you are beautiful... what you've done is beautiful and I'm a fool not to accept you for everything that you are, no matter what anyone says... I love you, Annika."

She raised her eyebrows at him, baring a strange resemblance to her father.

"It's not going to be that easy, Arkyn," she sassed, "It'll be a long time before I even consider forgiving you."

"I'll wait," he begged, "I'd wait a lifetime for you."

Annika nodded, "Fine, then."

Arkyn stepped towards her and leaned in to kiss her, but Annika fought back and created a snowball in her hand, throwing it in his face and laughing. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I love you dear princess," he chuckled.

"I love you too, Arkyn," she laughed.

Annika grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him in for a much anticipated kiss.

"EW!" Kristane shouted, pointing in their direction and covering her eyes.

Annika turned around, still holding Arkyn's hands in hers as she watched her family laugh and admire her. It was over. The stress was gone, the nerves had been lifted, and everything had fallen back into place. The only thing that she wasn't sure of was whether or not another adventure would await her behind some mysterious door. Whatever it was, Annika, Princess of Arendelle, would be ready for it. Annika was powerful.


End file.
